Quite frankly, I would be happy to see either Brown or Hacket take out DeWine, but I'm concerned that the Democrats are going to get stupid again and blow their chances with a hard fought primary.
Making matters worse, the left end of the Democratic Party doesn't appear unified in this particular race, so it's not like a Dean vs. Lieberman type race. The last Issue of In These Times contains an article by Christopher Hayes entitled "Who is Sherrod Brown?" which is not only sympathetic to Brown, but also seems dismissive of "Internet Darling" Paul Hackett.
The article argues that Hackett represents some sort of crucible for the left blogosphere, as if the issue of blog influence is more important to bloggers than the race itself. The article quotes Lindsey Beyerstein:
Hackett, whom many bloggers treat like the local boy made good, and who was recently the subject of a glowing profile in Mother Jones titled "The Democrat Who Fought," provides the blogosphere an opportunity to prove, unequivocally, its own influence. "The reason to support Hackett over Brown is simple," wrote Beyerstein, "if Hackett wins (and he can win), the progressive blogosphere makes history."
though Hayes does concede:
Blog opinion on the race is by no means uniform. Many support Brown, but it's a strange feature of the blogosphere that a newcomer to politics like Hackett is widely considered a known quantity, while Brown, who's spent his entire adult life in public office, is a mystery. One skeptical blogger on the Web site Swing State Project summed up his reservations with a post titled: "Who is Sherrod Brown?"
Hayes does make a good argument for the virtue of Brown. Had Brown declared when first asked and Hackett thus chosen not to run, I would have no problem supporting Brown. He may very well be "more progressive" than Hackett, as I'm sure Hackett could not be a flaming liberal in every respect to have come so close to winning a special election in a Republican district. But the lack of deciciveness in his leadership is already jeopardizing a golden opportunity for Democrats. And Hackett is more than just a product of left blogoshere egos - that particular angle is an unnecessary cheap shot. Hayes should know better.
Ultimately, it's up to Ohio Democrats to decide, but I hope the candidates campaign responsibly in the meantime.